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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: sparkyflint on February 15, 2007, 07:37:00 PM

Title: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: sparkyflint on February 15, 2007, 07:37:00 PM
I jest wondered what types thosse who use them would recommend, and what features are most important to consider when looking for one.

thanks
flint
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Dr. Ed Ashby on February 15, 2007, 07:42:00 PM
They're most useful to a hunter. I prefer them to be of very high quality steel, light weight and small size!

Ed
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Seeking Trad Deer on February 15, 2007, 07:44:00 PM
I see Knives of Alaska offers one as well as Ron LaClair's Archery Shop.  Just wondering what you guys use them for on a deer hunt?
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: sparkyflint on February 15, 2007, 08:00:00 PM
well the first thing that I was thinking about, and what prompted my inquiry, was ease of breaking through the pelvis.  

but the i figured there had to bo more than just that-so that's why I asked about them(after doing a few searches on the subject)
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Tim Fishell on February 15, 2007, 08:01:00 PM
I have a Shrew Hawk from Ron LaClair.  It is well made and very high quality.  Ever one is hand made by a blacksmith.  It is light weight and easy to carry.  I use it to build stick blinds with if I am in an area that has good recent deer sign.  

Tim
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: fflintlock on February 15, 2007, 08:15:00 PM
I take mine every time I head to the woods.
It was hand forged by a blacksmith freind of mine. It is a small hammer pole type, about a 2 1/2" blade, about 4" wide across, with about 16" hickory handle that I made. I like to camp when I go to the woods hunting, or just a day out strolling through the woods. I like to build a fire, make some coffee and sit a spell. Setting up camp, the little hammer pole on the back of it comes in handy for driving in stakes. Some times you run across a place that is just screaming out for a ground blind, so you build it. Sorta like never leave home without it type of thing. Heck, I,ve even skin out game with that little axe. If your going out, they sure do come in handy. I take 2 blades to the woods with me, my 1800s butcher knife and my axe.
Best take heed to make sure it is sheathed when carring
Jerald

   (http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/632/2151220660100570538S425x425Q85.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2151220660100570538mcMveK)
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: vermonster13 on February 15, 2007, 08:34:00 PM
I used to but it was hard getting a passthru shot no matter how sharp I kept it. So I decided to stick with the bow.    :p
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: pintail_drake2004 on February 15, 2007, 08:37:00 PM
been carrying a throwing hawk for several years. Works great on the trap line for the occasional rabbit while walking up to check you sets. Dont spook critters like gun shot.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: gobbler10ga on February 15, 2007, 08:44:00 PM
I carry a gerber saw
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: gobbler10ga on February 15, 2007, 08:44:00 PM
I carry a gerber saw
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: BAK on February 15, 2007, 08:52:00 PM
With Gobbler here.   Used to carry one then realized my folding saw worked about as well if not better and was lighter and easier to pack.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Blackhawk on February 15, 2007, 08:55:00 PM
I always carry a small hatchet and saw.

One of my projects this winter was to make a back quiver of moose leather and to incorportate a hatchet and saw into the design.  

My ax is a very small 11" model made by Vaughan here in the U.S.A.  It weighs only 8 ozs., has hickory handle, keeps a sharp edge, and costs around $30.


  (http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d108/lwscott/quiver-1.jpg)

 (http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d108/lwscott/quiver-2.jpg)
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: sparkyflint on February 15, 2007, 09:00:00 PM
now that's an interesting idea that would have never occured tom.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: JEFF B on February 15, 2007, 09:01:00 PM
hey blackhawk i love your axe it is way cool :thumbsup:i like how you got it fixed to your quiver cool .
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: tradtusker on February 15, 2007, 09:04:00 PM
thats what i call a quiver!!
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: TimBow2 on February 15, 2007, 09:31:00 PM
neat quiver
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Jeff U on February 15, 2007, 09:39:00 PM
Check out Ron LaClair's "Shrew hawk" (Ron's a Tradgang sponsor)

 http://www.shrewbows.com/shrewhawk/#
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: bowmac on February 15, 2007, 09:50:00 PM
Here's what I carry a forged hatchet, one or the other forged knife and a little firstarting supplies in the underarm pouch. I use the hatchet constantly for hunting blinds, shelter, firewood, etc. I have even field dressed a deer with it before. Also when some of us camp we sometimes see who can make the most efficient stickbow with our hatchets.
 (http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q271/bowmac_photos/Project11.jpg)
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Wudstix on February 15, 2007, 09:51:00 PM
I'm thinking a hawk might be nice to have for that one in a million boar hog that decides he wants some of me.  Never had a problem, knock on wood.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: sparkyflint on February 15, 2007, 10:46:00 PM
boar hog or..... meth addict-around here the odds are not so good.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: PigStikker on February 15, 2007, 11:00:00 PM
I actually hunt with a hatchet and carry my bow for backup or if I can't get close enough.   :D

Matt
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Ron LaClair on February 15, 2007, 11:06:00 PM
Two things I wouldn't be without in the woods, my knife and my Hawk.    :knothead:

   (http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/PICT0521.JPG)
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Green Arrow on February 15, 2007, 11:16:00 PM
I got a shrew hawk from Ron last year and man i love it.  (thanks again Ron!)  i was trying to put a sheath on my quiver like ole blackhawk (beautiful quiver by the way)  but i ended up making a belt sheath and i've carried it several times.  did a rabbit hunt last weekend and i never used the hawk but it is so light i never knew it was there.  i use it all the time doing chores etc... and used it last year to scrape a hide out in no time.  it is with me all the time  :)

Kyle

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v608/igmutanka/DSCN0063.jpg)
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: sparkyflint on February 16, 2007, 12:19:00 AM
pigsticker-I think Tred Barta wants to have a talk with you!
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: madness522 on February 16, 2007, 06:54:00 AM
Hey Blackhawk I love the MacGyver quiver. Great idea!  What weight leather is that?  It looks kinda floppy, but in a good way.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Roger Norris on February 16, 2007, 07:13:00 AM
I go back and forth between a ShrewHawk and a BIG Natchez Bowie. I use a large heavy blade for chopping more than anything else...a deer's pelvis, brushing in a blind, etc.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Tony Phillips on February 16, 2007, 07:32:00 AM
I carry this sometimes.

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/tphillips1645/FS-1201.gif)
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: James Wrenn on February 16, 2007, 07:46:00 AM
I bought one of the small Firestorm hand axes last year.It is very light weight and will drop in the bottom of a day pack or fanny pack if you don't want to wear it on your belt.Not much for chopping firewood but comes shaving sharp and is easy to keep that way.Works great for getting a dead animal skinned out,cut up and into bags.While not heavy it is sharp enough a two handed push will go though the pelvis of whitetails with no problem.I bought it on sale for $20 and it is one of those things where you know the money was well spent.  :)
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Izzy on February 16, 2007, 08:53:00 AM
Ever consider a "smatchet" type tool? More of a cleaver on steroids type knife but theyre compact and work great.I have a Smith and Wesson bullseye that was given to me and its a solid tool.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: swp on February 16, 2007, 10:11:00 AM
What is the best method to sharpen a tomahawk? I have always used a whetstone (flat) but have heard that a round stone works well.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: pjsnell on February 16, 2007, 10:26:00 AM
I use a wetterling hunter hatchet, but have been eyeing the hawks in the latest Cabelas catalog.  Might be a waste of twenty bucks, might not...
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: JStark on February 16, 2007, 10:42:00 AM
I bought a cheapo hatchet and ground the blade with my dremel tool, to use for field dressing.  For the other chores I use a Corona machete, which came in very handy in scraping hide, as well as chopping wood, making kindling, etc.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Bill Turner on February 16, 2007, 11:15:00 AM
Gerber makes a hatchet which I have found quite handy for blazing trails, building ground blinds etc. I carried it with me on a Alaskan Moose hunt thinking that it might come in handy. It did, but unfortunatly not on dismantling a moose. I also have a Knives of Alaska Brown Bear skinner that I would highly recommend.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: curlis on February 17, 2007, 10:36:00 PM
Here is what I carry. Made by Rick Evans.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: curlis on February 18, 2007, 12:46:00 PM
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/bcurlis/100_0703.jpg

Try this
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: adkmountainken on February 18, 2007, 01:00:00 PM
i often carry a hawk, allways carry a long knife or bowie. have always loved a good hawk and they are very useful. Skillet from this site makes a nice railroad spike hawk that i carry a lot. also a good friend of mine made a very unique hawk that i take along often. as far as survival if i had to chhose it would be a toss up between a big bowie and a good hawk. heres a couple pic's of my hawk built by a friend.
 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/adkmountainken/knives/axe2.jpg)
 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/adkmountainken/knives/axe3.jpg)
 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/adkmountainken/knives/axe4.jpg)
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Scott S. on February 18, 2007, 06:25:00 PM
I had a beautiful throwing hawk and sold it several years back because at the time, I never used it or thought I ever would.  It is one of the biggest "wish I'd have kept that"s that I have.  This past hunting season, I bought a very cheap hawk to take deer hunting.  I thought I would use it for brushing out ground blinds and hopefully split a deer pelvis.  No joy on the latter, but it did come in useful for clearing shooting lanes and it came in handy unexpectedly when I had to use it as a hook to grab a branch that I could not reach when I stepped around an obstacle on the edge of a steep drop off.  I will probably carry one most of the time from my experiences last season.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Gray Buffalo on February 19, 2007, 04:26:00 PM
I carry a mouse hawk while hunting. It comes in real handy at times and is light weight.

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/graybuffalo/IMG_1084.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/graybuffalo/IMG_1086.jpg)
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: Tox Collector on February 19, 2007, 07:38:00 PM
I carry a double bit belt axe made by Lee Reeves Bladesmith.  If you google "Lee Reeves Bladesmith", you can see pictures of his axes.  He also makes a single blade belt axe as well as knives.  The double bit is modeled after Nessmuk (George Washington Sears), who in the late 1800's wrote about traveling by canoe in the Adirondacks.  He believed in traveling light.  Plumb (see cooperhandtools.com) also makes a single bit Hunter's belt axe that weighs 1.25 lb.  Snow and Nealley, Bangor, ME makes a "young camper's belt axe - 15 inch handle weighing 1.25 lbs. (see: snowandnealley.com).  Both the Plumb and Snow and Nealley axes come with sheaths as does Lee Reeve's axes.  I also like to carry a saw.  I used to carry a Gerbers but now carry a Turbo Cut Camp Saw (6 oz. - 7 inch blade -- with sheath).  It is easily accomodated in my fanny pack.  It's available from the Voyageur Trading Post (Boundary Waters Journal) -- boundarywatersjournal.com.
Title: Re: Who totes a hatchet for hunting?
Post by: bentpole on February 19, 2007, 08:04:00 PM
Wasn't there a thread a year or two ago about these fighting type hatchets that a trad ganger had or sold  they were  made  for Special Forces in NAM?Any body? Yeh one of those or a  Shrew Hawk would be something I would carry after reading that wolf/moose thread WOOOO FAAAA